Skeptic
by Larie-chan
Summary: I was born with logic in my head and on my tongue, so naturally I never believed those stories and spirits and whatnot. At least until he came along and shoved doubt into my head. Oneshot. Implied Yukka.


Yes, I know this isn't New Adventures...but I got this done and to my satisfaction...

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently being held hostage by its creators, for is it wasn't, the thrid season would have been out by now (please let the wait be because they're making it so awesome... _please_...)

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"And that my children, is how the great spirits Tui and La met and formed their eternal bond."

_Well that's just a bunch of dung..._ I though as the old guy finished his long-winded story.

Now, I always thought that age gave people wisdom and knowledge and all that other stuff they like to brag about, and believe me, this guy was _old _(all frail and twiggy and a little bit squishy, like he was drying from the inside out), but mister squishy here had just yapped out a whole big mess about the _moon_ and the _ocean_ being spirits that were, as he put it, magnificent beings intertwined by love and destiny.

Yeah, okay.

I guess my face got scrunched up like it does when I'm mad or when I stub my toe, because wrinkles man across the fire was looking at me weird.

"Does the young girl here doubt my words?" Squishy asked, like there was something funny about the situation. People around the fire pit, those who were still awake, suddenly found him and me _very_ interesting. With their attention on me, my heart started to thump in anticipation.

"Well, first off," I had to stop to clear my throat, had to be prepared to shoot down this guy you know, "how do you even know these Lui and Ta-."

"La and Tui miss."

"Whatever, just how do you know that they even exist?" The fire crackled at some dried wood and the storyteller raised his eyebrows. Some kids started to whisper to their parents, probably wanting answers and most others just glared at me, probably thought I was being rude or something. I really didn't care what they thought of my methods, the truth had to be made known. When the old man said nothing in reply, I readied myself and struck at the opening.

"If you really want to know what I think, I think the ocean," I pointed over to the near-by shore line and the dark waves that crashing along it, "is nothing but water. Lots and lots and lots of water. And the moon," I tilted my hand up so I pointed at the half-filled object in question, "is nothing more than a rock, albeit a really _really_ big rock, but just a big hunk of stuff hanging up there." One of my friends perked up and looked at that rock; he was an earthbender.

I was about to launch into more logic when I noticed that geezer wasn't doing anything. Just sitting there, quiet and patient, and now looking like he had some big special joke on me. And that got me mad, him treating me like some little kid when I was almost twelve!

By this point people were grunting and groaning and getting up to leave, mostly to put their kids to bed (some were already asleep) and that guy was packing up to leave as well. I was busy poking sticks into the fire when the storyteller went past me with his smelly traveling pack on his back. He never said a word. I kept quiet too; if he didn't want to take the truth seriously, then I wouldn't make him.

As I was standing up to leave, I heard someone come crunching up behind me.

"You don't believe him do you?" I turned quickly, but tt was too dark to really see that new guy well. All I knew was that he defiantly not the storyteller.

"Why should I? All that was was just some story to put kids to sleep."

The guy was silent and seemed to be thinking. After some time he began to speak again, this time more strained and not looking at me.

"She's different now you know..."

"Wha-"

"She's still noble and kind and all, but now she likes stupid jokes and can't sing to save her life. Her favorite games are tag and hide and seek and anything else that kids play because kids are so simple and innocent. I think that in some ways she never really wanted to grow up..."

_This is just a little weird_.

"And it didn't matter who you were or anything because she would still listen and _care_. But above all else she was brave, never waited to be rescued. She just stepped up when her time came and..." His voice had begun to stretch and he stopped and swallowed hard. I could do nothing but stand there and watch this guy babble and almost cry as he stared off into the fire.

I couldn't say anything-what could I say? No arguments or logic came to me and so both of us mirrored each other on the outskirts of the fire's light. Even thought the air was still cold, it being the end of winter, it got harder and harder for me to breath comfortably.

"Sokka...Sokka where are you?"

The distant voice snapped like a whip and both of us looked up startled. Soon I could make out a girl wearing the same type of coat as the boy was wearing and behind her followed...

For a moment my heart squeezed and sputtered when I saw what the second guy was wearing. Orange and yellow. Not exactly Fire nation colors, but it too close for my comfort in any case. And since there had been rumors of a massive Fire Nation fleet being spotted going north of here, I had plenty of reason to be frightened. But when they walked closer to us, I saw that he had something on his head. It was an arrow, a _blue arrow_. That meant...

Oh crap.

"Sokka we've been looking everywhere for you, we've got the supplies and we're heading back to Appa." The girl never stepped into the ring of light as she spoke, just stayed in the darkness and called this guy, Sokka, to come to her. But the _airbender_, at least I think it was, judging only from the stories I've heard, stepped right up into the light, past where Sokka was standing.

"Hey, were you there to hear the story? What was it about?" And he smiled, plain and simple. I stood there and gaped and soon he shrugged and moved away from me and back into the night, following the other two.

The fire gave a loud snap and my brain lept into action. I started to run after them, hands out ready to grab. But for some reason that I _still_ don't understand, I didn't go after the airbender. My fingers clamped on parka and I stopped Sokka from moving.

"How...how-wait, are you saying that you actually knew the _moon spirit_?"

"Yes..." The same sound in his voice, but I could hear him smile now, "you could say that."

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So once again: please let me know what you think, and _please_ use proper grammar and spelling in your reviews!

D


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